Chilly mornings and car seats

Autumn is in full force and winter is right around the corner.

With the cold comes the challenge of keeping Mary warm in her car seat. Now that she is bigger it’s a little harder to keep a cover over her infant car seat (remember not to use anything that goes under the baby to keep him or her warm). But bulky winter coats can be just as dangerous. In many cases, the extra layer can make it hard to get the harness tight enough on your child.

Last year I shared a couple tips to check if its OK to have your child wear his or her coat while sitting in a car seat.

What can you do if your jacket or snowsuit allows for too much slack? Here are some other safe options:

1. Fleece jackets, such as polar fleece or performance fleece, are incredibly warm, soft, comfortable, and don’t had a lot of bulk.

2. Thermal/long underwear which can be worn under clothing.

3. Warm ponchos. Your child can keep a warm shawl/poncho on, and when you put them in their seat, you flip the back up over the top of the seat and strap them in under it, so there is no bulk between them in their seat – which is ultimately what we are trying to avoid.

4. Blankets. Keep an extra blanket in the car to warm up those kiddos. Always good to have one in the car for emergencies as well!

5. Put the coat on backwards. This solution can really be as simple as taking off the coat, buckling your child in, then putting the coat back on them backward.

Finally, remember gloves and a hat! These protect the parts of the body that get cold quickly yet don’t interfere with a car seat harness.

eGrowing Together

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We have created this blog as a way to communicate key childrens' health and safety issues to parents and other child advocates. It is managed by Dayton Children's department of marketing communications. Comments can be sent to rodneyg@childrensdayton.org.

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Today for #meetadocfriday we are honoring pulmonary specialist Dr. Fink. Dr. Fink has been at Dayton Childrens for 13 years and has been named on the Best Doctors in America list. He will be greatly missed! Help us wish Dr. Fink a great retirement!

Today is national heatstroke prevention day. You can help protect kids by first admitting that it can happen to anyone and then remembering to ACT: Avoid heatstroke by never leaving a child alone in a car. Create reminders. Take action by calling 911 if you see a child alone in a car. Learn more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0qb9zZYNU0